mistake.
We're all going to die, Conor thought.
These people do not understand. The fools.
Soon they had all moved inside with Vernon carefully closing the door so that it made no sound. Their faces looked far more hopeless in the dim light, eyes hidden in shadow, tiny white gleams visible in them as they stared around them in fear.
Conor, Aiden and Klaus went down first, nearly holding their breath as they descended, softly placing their feet on each step. A small, metallic clink rang out as Conor's wedding ring struck the railing, stopping him in his tracks. He stared at the others, gritting his teeth in apology and pulled his hand away from the railing. He stood for a moment, listening, only silence coming back to him.
It took a tense five minutes to go down three flights of stairs and every rustle of clothing, every squeak of a shoe, raised the stress level. Conor was sweating bullets as he stopped on the thirty-first floor landing and leaned against the wall, waiting for the others.
"I- I can't find my slippers," Albert said, every head snapping around to stare at his wife who did her best to quiet him.
"Shhh, shhh...." she whispered in his ear, stroking his hair as he leaned against her.
Aiden gave Conor the 'we're fucked' look and stared down the steps, waiting. He heard nothing for roughly five seconds, but then inevitably a door, some floors down burst open, the heavy footsteps and low moaning of the undead wafting up to reach them. By the sound of it, there was a veritable army of zombies clawing its way up from below and they were coming quickly.
Conor immediately moved to the door that led onto the thirty-first floor and put a hand against the glass, peering inside. There was a long corridor straight ahead, empty but for a dead body slumped against the wall about four doors down. He had no idea what might be waiting behind all of those doors, but was certain what was coming if they stayed in the stairwell.
He pulled the door open and went inside, pulling Aiden with him. The others followed noisily as Aiden shook his head in anger.
Bobo pulled up the rear, shutting the door and turning the lock with a loud click. Moments later, the screams came and bodies slammed against the door, their ghastly faces pressed against the glass of the narrow window. Once the zombies caught sight of them, they went into a frenzy, fingernails digging into the door, scraping across the glass.
The group turned to continue down the corridor when the body against the wall shuddered and stood, roused by the noise of its brethren. It wore the clothing of a medical professional, a once-white lab coat hanging from its shoulders and blue scrubs covered in rust-colored stains. One day ago, it was a man in his fifties, balding with a potbelly. Now it was just another monster.
Its eyes fell on them, widening as it quickly lunged forward.
The girls screamed, Vernon trying in vain to quiet them. The old people fell back, not wishing to retreat too closely to the door and the ravenous horde that pounded at it. Albert began to mutter again, something about checkers.
The zombie reached them, Conor throwing a kick into its chest, pushing it away. It fell back, but Conor did as well, the strength of the creature's charge far greater than expected. Aiden jumped over Conor's body, grabbed the scissors and prepared for the thing to rise again.
Klaus helped Conor to his feet, staring at the zombie all the while. The thing turned, staring with unfocused eyes at Aiden, licking its cracked lips.
"Watch it, brother..." Conor said, moving up behind Aiden. In a blur, the creature lurched out, hands grasping Aiden's shirt as he drove the scissors into its left eye. It burst with a sickening pop, audible to everyone in the corridor, yellowish fluid running out and down its cheek as it pulled Aiden close.
Aiden pulled against it, abruptly thrown against the wall, the zombie's teeth dangerously close to his face. Both Conor and Klaus latched on to the
We're all going to die, Conor thought.
These people do not understand. The fools.
Soon they had all moved inside with Vernon carefully closing the door so that it made no sound. Their faces looked far more hopeless in the dim light, eyes hidden in shadow, tiny white gleams visible in them as they stared around them in fear.
Conor, Aiden and Klaus went down first, nearly holding their breath as they descended, softly placing their feet on each step. A small, metallic clink rang out as Conor's wedding ring struck the railing, stopping him in his tracks. He stared at the others, gritting his teeth in apology and pulled his hand away from the railing. He stood for a moment, listening, only silence coming back to him.
It took a tense five minutes to go down three flights of stairs and every rustle of clothing, every squeak of a shoe, raised the stress level. Conor was sweating bullets as he stopped on the thirty-first floor landing and leaned against the wall, waiting for the others.
"I- I can't find my slippers," Albert said, every head snapping around to stare at his wife who did her best to quiet him.
"Shhh, shhh...." she whispered in his ear, stroking his hair as he leaned against her.
Aiden gave Conor the 'we're fucked' look and stared down the steps, waiting. He heard nothing for roughly five seconds, but then inevitably a door, some floors down burst open, the heavy footsteps and low moaning of the undead wafting up to reach them. By the sound of it, there was a veritable army of zombies clawing its way up from below and they were coming quickly.
Conor immediately moved to the door that led onto the thirty-first floor and put a hand against the glass, peering inside. There was a long corridor straight ahead, empty but for a dead body slumped against the wall about four doors down. He had no idea what might be waiting behind all of those doors, but was certain what was coming if they stayed in the stairwell.
He pulled the door open and went inside, pulling Aiden with him. The others followed noisily as Aiden shook his head in anger.
Bobo pulled up the rear, shutting the door and turning the lock with a loud click. Moments later, the screams came and bodies slammed against the door, their ghastly faces pressed against the glass of the narrow window. Once the zombies caught sight of them, they went into a frenzy, fingernails digging into the door, scraping across the glass.
The group turned to continue down the corridor when the body against the wall shuddered and stood, roused by the noise of its brethren. It wore the clothing of a medical professional, a once-white lab coat hanging from its shoulders and blue scrubs covered in rust-colored stains. One day ago, it was a man in his fifties, balding with a potbelly. Now it was just another monster.
Its eyes fell on them, widening as it quickly lunged forward.
The girls screamed, Vernon trying in vain to quiet them. The old people fell back, not wishing to retreat too closely to the door and the ravenous horde that pounded at it. Albert began to mutter again, something about checkers.
The zombie reached them, Conor throwing a kick into its chest, pushing it away. It fell back, but Conor did as well, the strength of the creature's charge far greater than expected. Aiden jumped over Conor's body, grabbed the scissors and prepared for the thing to rise again.
Klaus helped Conor to his feet, staring at the zombie all the while. The thing turned, staring with unfocused eyes at Aiden, licking its cracked lips.
"Watch it, brother..." Conor said, moving up behind Aiden. In a blur, the creature lurched out, hands grasping Aiden's shirt as he drove the scissors into its left eye. It burst with a sickening pop, audible to everyone in the corridor, yellowish fluid running out and down its cheek as it pulled Aiden close.
Aiden pulled against it, abruptly thrown against the wall, the zombie's teeth dangerously close to his face. Both Conor and Klaus latched on to the
Similar Books
